Magic Ink technique

Last night at Crafters Anonymous we did an online class with Anne Brignoll.
The technique we learnt is called Magic Ink - a lot of fun with ink and embossing!

 The colours I have used are Rich Razzleberry and Perfect plum Re-inkers, Black stazon for the sentiment and Versamark to emboss the barque motif swirl.

 To top if off I added my no knot bow with a rhinestone brad to hold it together.
To get this technique you will need rubbing alcohol and two colours of Stampin' up reinkers.
Cotton balls and a heat embossing tool and plastic gloves if you don't like to wear your ink on your fingertips!

The cherish stamp is stamped on some more glossy cardstock and punched out with the Decorative label punch. This is my most used punch it can be used so many ways.

Card Recipe:

Stampset: Baroque Motifs

Card stock: Glossy white, Rich Razzleberry.

Ink: Rich Razzle berry and Perfect Plum (reinkers)

Black staz-on, Versamark.

Ribbon: Rich Razzleberry satin

 Rhinestone brad.

Clear Embossing Powder,.

Tools: Rubbing alcohol, cotton ball, heat gun, embossing buddy, Decorative label punch, dimensional adhesive, mini glue dot.

Baroque Motif and a Rich razzle kiss

I decided to make a full-sized Baroque Motif  birthday card.

I like to layer up a card with contrasting colours and glitter for birthdays.

Hearts and swirls just go hand in hand if you ask me.

Here is a close up of the square shaped baroque medallion turned on its diagonal.

I have punched out the square with a square punch

and layered it on to the square scallop punch of kiwi kiss cardstock.

Then to add some sparkle I have put a few dashes of two way glue pen around and sprinkled it with dazzling diamonds (fairy dust).

The centres of the small flowers also have this treatment.

Can you see it shining in the sunlight?

Simple but elegant ...  a weddings, birthdays, anything card.

Card recipe:

Stampsets: Baroque Motifs, teeny tiny sentiments.

Cardstock: whisper white, Rich Razzleberry, kiwi kiss.

Ink: Rich Razzle berry

Tools: word window punch, square punch, square scallop punch.

Small Heart punch, two way glue pen, dazzling diamonds.

Baroque in a Rich Razzleberry swirl...

Today's card is a very simple card.

I have brought out one of my most favourite stampsets "Baroque Motifs"

Did you know that this stampset was voted most popular stampset by customers in 2009? And it is still a very stylish and the elegant stampset that I reach for when I want to make a wedding, engagement, birthday or baby card.

I've teamed it up with the in colour Rich Razzleberry and kept it monotone.

That is just Very Vanilla and black as neutrals to the gorgous Razzleberry ink and cardstock.

Don't you love these little hearts?

This is a small sized punch in the current Winter mini catalogue and it is only $11.50

They look just gorgous hanging off this swirl like a bunch of ripe red grapes in my opinion.

Handmade cards for Christmas

I have to show you some of the gorgous Handmade Christmas cards I have received this week, I am so awed by the creativity of my friends and the beautiful thoughts behind them. I thought the best way to show case them is with a slide show... so here it goes:

Best wishes and raspberry tarts...

This was the card I ended up with after Tuesday night's evening of stamping with a couple of friends. It is nothing like the original card I was intending to make, but none of my "creations" ever do I'm afraid, so I will stop apologising for that now.
To enjoy what you do you have to make what you like, what pleases your sense of creativity. Occasionally others like what I do, or they just like parts of what I do... its an individual thing and thats what I like about it - no two cards are ever the same, depending on the style and taste of the person who makes it.So the card is fairly simple only a few layers ... but I wanted to use one of my wheels: the baroque wheel in versamark ink, and then I decide to clear emboss it to make it dark and glossy. The patterned paper is from the Raspberry tart pack of papers. It is rose red, real red, cameo coral, kiwi kiss and pretty in pink. I love buttlerflies, and the wings kind of mirror the shape of the flowers in the background paper. I have rock and rolled the butterflies in regal rose and rose red ink. The Centre butterfly has a velum layer and is attached with a silver brad. If you look closely you will see I have used some versamark and clear embossing powder to accentuate the wings. I think my clear embossing powder has some dazzling diamonds in it, too. This greeting "Best wishes" is from the Oval All stampset, which becomes available on 1st of August in the new mini catalogue.
I have stamped it in regal rose and touched it up with rose red. Did I mention how useful the oval scallop punch is?

Materials used:
Stampset: Oval all, Dreams du Jour, Baroque Border wheel.
Cardstock: Rose red, Pink pirouette, whisper white, kiwi kiss, vellum.
Ink: Regal rose, rose red, versamark.
Designer series paper - Raspberry tart.
Accessories: Eyelet border punch, large oval punch, scallop oval punch, clear embossing powder, silver brad, half pearl, snail adhesive and dimensionals.

Fun and Elegant bra card

Simple but effective and very easy to make - this is what we made here, last Friday at my place. Two punches to cut out the bra and lace, ribbon for the straps and a half pearl for the centre bling. I have a bra like this purple one but I'd love it with baroque swirls on it.

And on the inside I popped up the greeting on a bit of folded card using the flower from the new stampset three little words and the stem sayings "Happy birthday". My little princess loves the bra cards ... too.

Materials:

Stampset: baroque motifs

Vanila, elegant eggplant and orchid opulence cardstock.

Elegant eggplant ink.

Elegant eggplant grosgrain ribbon.

Punches: 2" circle and scallop circle.

Half pearl, rhinestone, or diamante to decorate.

Stampin' Up Specials to aid Australian Red Cross Bushfire Appeal

Since the news of the Bushfires in Victoria, Australian Demonstrators have appealed to Stampin' Up! to help us find a way to support our fellow Australians who have been affected by the fires.
Today Stampin' Up! have announced that from now until then end of March Stampin' Up! will be donating 50% of the retail value of ten stamp sets to the Australian Red Cross Victorian Bushfires 2009 Appeal.

Join Australian and New Zealand Stampin' Up! demonstrators help those victims of the Victorian bushfires.
From 12 February through 31 March 2009, when you purchase any of a select group of 10 stamp sets, Stampin' Up! will donate 50 percent of the sales of these sets to the

Australia Red Cross Victorian Bushfires 2009 Appeal.

Stampset: page: Retail price:

Live Your Dream pg3 (Summer Mini) $55.95

Priceless pg105 $48.95

Seeing Spots pg89 $29.95

Baroque Motifs pg98 $39.95

Looks Like Spring* pg76 $58.95

The Snowflake Spot* pg27 $39.95

Bodacious Bouquet* pg80 $58.95

Polka Dots & Paisley* pg46 $35.95

G'day Mate* pg115 $35.95

Be Happy* pg51 $39.95

* These sets will appear on the upcoming list of retiring products, so they will only be available for the Bushfire Appeal--while supplies last.

This is a bit of a sneak peak of the Retirement List, and these sets will go quickly! If you would like to order any of these sets please email me and I will also donate an additional 20%, for this very worthy cause.

If you feel deeply about the situation in Victoria and want to do something then why not buy a stamp set today to help raise money for a cause that has touched so many of us.

http://www3.stampinup.com/au/documents/BushFire_flyer_0209.pdf

A Little Something for you ...

Just a quick photo of the card I made with the "Yummy" stampset from the Sale a bration catalogue. The card is made with confetti white cardstock from stampin' up and it is a little thicker and more substantial than the whisper white cardstock. It has little pieces of "confetti-like" paper pressed in it giving it a handmade feel. I have used the Ginger blossom DS Paper from the Summer mini catalogue (that I also used in a scrapbook project that I recently posted.
I wanted to add something, as it was missing that something ... so put the glittery centres of the flowers on with dazzling diamonds.

Materials:

Cardstock: confetti white, regal rose.

Ink: Rose red (for background swirls) Markers: rose red, perfect plum.

Stampset: Baroque motifs and Yummy (2009 Saleabration set).

Designer series paper: Ginger blossom.

Ribbon: Regal rose wide grosgrain.

Accessories: Dazzling Diamond powder adhered with 2-way adhesive pen.

Bra card

When I saw this card over on Vanessa Webb's blog ... I just had to make my own version of it. Just too pretty isn't it? I have a passing interest in breasts and what they can do for babies. Doesn't look much like a nursing bra but hey...it's pretty.

I think it would work well as a girl's night out invitation, a lingerie party, a close friend's birthday , or perhaps your husband's birthday. Add a tassel and it would work well for a hen's night invite?

The Stamp set used is Baroque motif. Love the swirls and flower in this set, I never tire of it and the little addition of a rhinestone gives it that sparkly-bra-bling that many brands of underwear have on them.

The black lace is made with the scallop punch and the straps are ribbon that I tied off inside the card. You could just make them with strips of black cardstock.

Cardstock: Very vanilla, basic black, pink passion (appropriate). Ink: Black stazon. Stampset: Baroque motifs.

Now where do I attach the baby?

Elegant Season of Joy!

We only have one week left of the Spring Mini Catalogue, and thirty two days until Christmas, and 20 school days before the holidays , so I am posting a few of my favourite cards that you can make quickly and easily for Christmas.

I love elegant eggplant and silver, this one isn't even embossed, just flat silver ink using the Baroque motif swirl.

The Christmas tree and swirly dots are from Season of Joy stampset .... and it has the "hand stamped" star on the back (that you can't see).

The very merry sentiment is from short and sweet. The ribbon is SU elegant eggplant grosgrain and the edges of the confetti white cardstock are distressed and matted onto always artichoke.

This would look very nice with Old olive cardstock too ;) .

Pomegranate and artichoke Season

These are the colours of my Christmas ... nice traditional deep artichoke green and rich pomegranate Red, silver and white.

I wanted to use the rich silky pomegranate ribbon in a different way and had the idea of knotting it through a jumbo eyelet ... with silver embossing and swirls. Perhaps its a little more industrial than your usual christmas bauble on a string. Now that I look at it that ribbon looks more like a fish tail caught in a port hole!

The flowers and sentiment are from the "Season of Joy" stampset and the silver embossed swirls from Baroque motifs.

You make me happy...background joy

While I am on a scrapbooking theme, here is a background stamping experiment I played with recently.

The colours were inspired by two SU paper packs.. and a card from stampin'withAlex.blogspot.com and a pair of my daughters denim jeans.

The Double sided paper is "Berry bliss" (below the blue grosgrain and white organza ribbon).

The middle pattern is stamped with "Floral background" stamp in close to cocoa on whisper white cardstock.

The top layer is Baroque motif stamped in close to cocoa onto whisper white and then a choc chip flower from the same stampset.

The pockets are a retired stampin' up set that I have stamped on bordering blue, with the fine lace background stamp, cut out and matted with lovely lilac cardstock and then stamped with the floral background stamp with elegant eggplant ink. Then to go with the denim jeans theme I added the silver brads on the corners of the pockets.

The sepia printed photo is matted with close to cocoa and elegant eggplant.

A pair of blue eyes - the heart of stamping joy!

Her eyes can make the hardest commuter smile ...

or the tiredest mother's heart melt.

Tonight my husband dropped our daughter to me at work and she and i caught the train from chatswood to Gosford home together.

We sat on a wide seat that held 4 adults comfortably - there were 4 adults seated and my daughter squeezed in beside me and the look she received from a tired commuting woman was withering to say the least. I asked my daughter to sit on my lap and the woman squeezed into the spot she had just vacated, seconds later a man stood up and offered her his seat. My daughter smiled at the man and the woman equally and both smiled back. It's the innocense in their hearts that finds joy in ours.

This scrap book page begun with a photo and a piece of scrap watercolour paper. I stamped the petal print flower on the water colour paper in stazon and pushed some ink around the petals in lavender lace ink and orchid opulence ink. Less is more in watercolouring i believe.

Then matted it on egglplant and ballet blue. (Next to purple this is one of my favourite colours) I think it looks purple in some light conditions.

The rest of the elements arose from boho backgrounds and big deal alphabet using every blue in the rich regals colour range. I used the ink spots ( a great idea if you cant decide which colour inks you want to buy ...) to stamp the "blue eyes" of the heading and the " a pair of " is embossed with white ink and white embossing powder it really stands out on a textured cardstock scrap book page.

And the background is stamped with the baroque motif large stamp in ballet blue.

The bow is made from taffeta ribbon.

Picnic in the park

One of the reasons I got into papercrafting, stamping and scrapbooking was because I have so many photos of my daughter ... I have always owned a camera and having a baby gave me something new to photograph - kind of fortunate that she was so photogenic and cute.

I think I was destined to scrapbook with pictures, colour and patterns ... it has taken over a large part of my life, actually a very large part.

I particularly like this scrap book page because it uses almost amethyst papers, textured cardstock and the baroque motif swirls and flower stamp, which while detailed doesnt take away from the black and white photo.

I used the white gel pen to add the journaling bottom left

so that it didnt compete with the photo.

The think happy thoughts stampset

provided the words with a small cut out flower

in the centre and backed with the scallop punch in black cardstock.

I haven't given this a large title because the stamps and patterned amethyst paper fill the space sufficiently.

Friendship

At times, life tends to rush along blissfully, joyfully and you wish you could savour these days before they get away. Our friendships can last a day, a few years or even most of our lives and these are the very precious ones that weave in and out our lives and make up apart of us that we might not have been if we had never met.

Very soon a close and old, old friend of mine is moving to Queensland and I am going to miss her very much. I sent her this little note card to let her know how much I cherish our friendship.

And then I thought that if a person ever marries this man, then perhaps that embossing white on white and silver could be a good look on place cards or invitations ...

The silver embossing is the baroque motif, the words are from Think happy thoughts, and the little flower in the centre from boho backgrounds in black stazon ink.

The black cardstock is punched with the round scallop punch.

Baroque motif background

As I haven't put up a scrapbooking page for a week - I thought I'd show one from earlier this year, featuring a simple clear embossed background using the baroque motif set.

The words are: adorable and wonderful from the "Warm words" stampset.

A Baroque Motif

You can get so many looks from this stampset.


Mostly a very elegant, sophisticated look...

that suits many occasions:


Birthdays,
weddings,
friendship,
thank you,
background stamping
and it looks interesting embossed too.






This picture shows why an embossing buddy is essential when you don't want bits of snow around your swirls. It can look ok on xmas cards but not a good look when you're aiming for clean lines. Still it's a very hand made look.